Bosch CCS180 Circular Saw Review

Bosch CCS180K 6-1/2-Inch 18-Volt Lithium Circular Saw Blade Kit

Every carpenter I know owns a circular saw but not all own a cordless one.

Cordless circular saws have been out for years. I’m a remodeling contractor and for many, many of those years I have resisted using and buying a cordless circular saw. They just did not impress me

After reviewing the Milwaukee and Dewalt cordless versions a Facebook fan asked if I would review the Bosch CCS180 Circular Saw.

The folks at Bosch sent me a CCS180 circular saw with a Bosch 18 volt, Fat-pack, 4.0Ah battery to review. The 4.0ah battery is a fairly new release for Bosch and is truly a game changer for their cordless tools. The exciting part of these batteries is that the charge lasts longer, they run cooler which results in the battery lasting two times longer than their predecessors.

First Impression:

I was not surprised when I pulled the CCS180 out of the box an immediately noticed how well balanced and light the saw was. At 6.6 pounds this saw can easily be wielded one-handed.

The tool and all of the features has that feel of quality that all professional job site worthy tools need to a be viable under rugged working conditions.

Bosch CCS180 Circular Saw Video Review:

Using The Bosch CCS180 Circular Saw:

The Bosch CCS180 will cut to 2 1/8” depth on a 90 degree cut and can bevel to 50 degrees.

Like all cordless circular saws it will bind if you twist of push it to hard but when used properly this tool “plows” through framing lumber and plywood. With the correct blade, It also makes nice cuts in trim and was enjoyable to use up on staging.

READ: Choosing A Saw Blade.

I really liked using the depth of cut gauge when making quick fast cuts where I needed to adjust the blade for the cutting application. It saves time from having to hold the tool against the material to be cut or from pulling out your tape measure to check the blade depth.

The guard blade has a beveled angle on the tip that first contacts the material being cut. This angle was designed to help prevent the guard from snagging and it works!

The CCS180 has a large oversize ambidextrous trigger safety that requires you to push in prior to pulling the trigger. The size of this safety is large enough to easily find as well as use with work gloves on . I personally found the safety awkward and it took me time to get used to it. This is a personal preference and I prefer the thumb push down safeties.

While using the CCS180 I noticed that the depth of blade rail can easily become dislodged from the groove it slides in, making the depth adjustment slide action catch and sluggish. I will say this never happened while using the saw and I only found this by pulling directly on the depth adjustment rail. Bosch may want to look closer at this groove and see if it can be made more secure. It’s highly unlikely that a job site condition will duplicate this but you never know!

Pros:

A lightweight, durable and extremely powerful saw. When combined with the 4.0Ah battery this saw goes and goes and goes!

I especially liked the depth of cut gauge and the anti-snag blade guard – I was not able to get the blade to hang up on angle or on thin cut offs.

Cons:

In my opinion, the bevel gauge is not clearly marked and the instructions that come with the tool do not address this. With the tool is adjusted to 45 degree bevel I feel it would be better to have an arrow indicator clearly identifying where the bevel mark is. Once you learn where this mark is its easy to use but any other carpenter who was not familiar with this tool would have to pause to figure out the bevel angle. Time is money!

Overall Impression:

The Bosch CCS80 was a pleasure to review. Bringing new tools to a job site always attracts attention and the Bosch CCS180 was not exception to this – everyone on the job site wanted to try it out and play with it. Some even wanted to keep it!

While I’m still a huge fan of corded circular saws the cordless circular saw is quickly becoming more viable on the job site, especially for cutting trim in place, small repair work and hard to reach areas.

If you considering a cordless circular saw and want a comfortable, easy to use and very powerful saw check out the CCS180. If you’re already using the Bosch 18 volt platform then this saw is a no brainer!

About the author

Robert Robillard

Carpenter / Remodeler / Editor / Writer / Video Talent

Robert Robillard is a general contractor, carpenter and operates a remodeling company located in Concord, MA. He is the editor of ConcordCarpenter.com and ToolBoxBuzz, and a has a weekly column in the Sunday Boston Globe. Rob is a recognized leader in tool and how-to information for building professionals, he hosts the Concord Carpenter Cable TV Show, offering advice on home repairs and maintenance. On his website, Rob uses his knowledge and experience to help and educate on best practices in the remodeling industry. His motto: “Well done is better than well said!”. Contact Rob at: info@aconcordcarpenter.com